Histiocytic sarcoma

Abstract: Paraffin-section immunohistochemical analysis was performed using a monoclonal antibody against CD163 to evaluate the antibody's usefulness in identifying cells of monocyte/macrophage lineage in normal and neoplastic conditions. Normal human tissue samples and samples from 211 hematopoietic disorders and 115 nonhematopoietic neoplasms were examined. The distribution of KP1 and PG-M1, monoclonal antibodies to the macrophage-associated CD68 antigen, also were evaluated for comparison. CD163 immunoreactivity was observed in resident macrophages of all normal tissue samples except splenic white pulp macrophages and germinal center tingible body macrophages. Among hematopoietic disorders and nonhematopoietic neoplasms, CD163 expression was restricted largely to cases of chronic myelomonocytic leukemia, histiocytic sarcoma, sinus histiocytosis with massive lymphadenopathy, and littoral cell angioma. Acute myeloid leukemias (AMLs) with monocytic differentiation were CD163- with the exception of 1 case of acute monoblastic leukemia. Most myeloid sarcomas also were CD163-. Compared with the CD68 antibodies, CD163 demonstrated greater specificity as a marker of disorders of monocyte/macrophage origin. However, immunohistochemical evaluation of CD163 expression does not seem to be a sensitive means of determining monocytic differentiation in AMLs in paraffin sections or establishing a diagnosis of myeloid sarcoma.

Abstract: Histiocytic sarcoma is a rare malignant neoplasm that occurs in lymph nodes, skin, and the gastrointestinal tract. Many previously published cases were likely misdiagnosed examples of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Only small numbers of bona fide examples exist in the world literature; cases arising primarily at extranodal sites are not well described and often seem to go unrecognized. To characterize these tumors further, 14 extranodal histiocytic sarcomas were analyzed. Hematoxylin and eosin sections were reexamined, immunohistochemistry was performed, and clinical details were obtained from referring hospitals. Eight patients were female and 6 male (median age, 55 years; range, 15-89 years). All patients presented with a solitary mass, ranging in size from 1.8 to 12 cm (median 6.8 cm). Seven tumors arose in soft tissue (6 lower limb; 1 upper limb), 5 in the gastrointestinal tract (1 involving both stomach and colon, 1 ileum, 2 rectum, 1 anus), 1 in the nasal cavity, and 1 in the lung. Three gastrointestinal tract tumors also involved regional lymph nodes, and 1 involved the liver. Most cases had infiltrative margins. The tumors were generally composed of sheets of large epithelioid cells with abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm, oval to irregular nuclei, vesicular chromatin, and large nucleoli. Binucleated cells were common, and 6 cases contained tumor giant cells. Mitoses ranged from 1 to 64 per 10 HPF (median 11 per 10 HPF). Necrosis was present in 8 cases. Nearly all tumors showed a striking inflammatory infiltrate, most often of neutrophils or lymphocytes. All cases were reactive for LCA, CD45RO, and CD68 (KP1 and PG-M1); 13 of 14 (93%) expressed CD4, 12 of 14 (86%) lysozyme, 8 of 10 (80%) CD31, 7 of 14 (50%) S-100 protein, and 5 of 14 (36%) focal CD1a. Two tumors showed weak, focal cytoplasmic positivity for CD30, and 1 for epithelial membrane antigen. The tumors were negative for ALK-1, CD21, CD35, CD3, CD20, CD34, myeloperoxidase, HMB-45, and keratins. Gastrointestinal tract cases were negative for c-kit and desmin. Six patients were treated with postoperative radiation and 7 with chemotherapy (CHOP or ProMACE-MOPP). Follow-up was available for 10 patients (median, 24 months; range, 4 months to 11 years). Two tumors recurred locally, and 5 patients developed distant spread: 3 to lymph nodes, 1 to lung, and 1 to bone. At the last follow-up, 2 patients have died of disseminated disease, 4 and 5 months following initial diagnosis. The patients who died thus far had the largest primary tumors. Histiocytic sarcoma may arise primarily in soft tissue and shows reproducible histologic features, including abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm and a prominent inflammatory infiltrate. Metastatic carcinoma, metastatic melanoma, and large cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas should be excluded by immunohistochemistry. Histiocytic sarcoma has the potential for an aggressive clinical course, most often with lymph node involvement. However, a subset of cases presenting with clinically localized disease have a favorable long-term outcome. Tumor size may be a prognostic factor.

Abstract: Histiocytic proliferative disorders are commonly observed in dogs and less often cats. Histiocytic disorders occur in most of the dendritic cell (DC) lineages. Canine cutaneous histiocytoma originates from Langerhans cells (LCs) indicated by expression of CD1a, CD11c/CD18, and E-cadherin. When histiocytomas occur as multiple lesions in skin with optional metastasis to lymph nodes and internal organs, the disease resembles cutaneous Langerhans cell histiocytosis of humans. Langerhans cell disorders do not occur in feline skin. Feline pulmonary LCH has been recognized as a cause of respiratory failure due to diffuse pulmonary infiltration by histiocytes, which express CD18 and E-cadherin and contain Birbeck's granules. In dogs and cats, histiocytic sarcomas (HS) arise from interstitial DCs that occur in most tissues of the body. Histiocytic sarcomas begin as localized lesions, which rapidly disseminate to many organs. Primary sites include spleen, lung, skin, brain (meninges), lymph node, bone marrow, and synovial tissues of limbs. An indolent form of localized HS, progressive histiocytosis, originates in the skin of cats. Hemophagocytic HS originates in splenic red pulp and bone marrow macrophages in dogs and cats. In dogs, histiocytes in hemophagocytic HS express CD11d/CD18, which is a leuko-integrin highly expressed by macrophages in splenic red pulp and bone marrow. Canine reactive histiocytic diseases, systemic histiocytosis (SH) and cutaneous histiocytosis, are complex inflammatory diseases with underlying immune dysregulation. The lesions are dominated by activated interstitial DCs and lymphocytes, which invade vessel walls and extend as vasocentric infiltrates in skin, lymph nodes, and internal organs (SH).